Novella

The Novella apple tree is a medium-sized tree with a round crown of medium density. The branches are straight, compactly arranged, and diverge from the trunk at an angle close to 90 degrees, while the bark on the trunk and main branches is smooth. The leaves are large, round, green, with a corkscrew-shaped tip and a deeply serrated edge. The flowers are of medium size, pinkish, and fragrant. The variety has mixed fruiting, primarily on spur shoots, fruiting buds, and the ends of growth shoots. The variety is early-fruiting, beginning to bear fruit on the M9 rootstock as early as the second or third year after planting, with regular fruiting, making it suitable for intensive cultivation technologies. Novella apple fruits are of medium size, weighing from 130 to 165 grams, with a round-flattened regular shape. The skin is smooth and dry, with a basic greenish color overlaid with a bright red, diffuse covering blush that covers most of the fruit. The fruit basin is of medium depth and width, sharply conical, with moderate russeting. The flesh is greenish, medium density, juicy, with a tart-sweet taste and a delicate aroma, confirmed by a tasting score of 4.5–4.6 points. The fruits contain 7.6% sugars, 10.0% dry matter, 0.90% titratable acids, and 10.5 mg/100 g of ascorbic acid. The fruits ripen in the first decade of July and are intended primarily for fresh consumption. The transportability of the fruits is medium; when stored in a refrigerator, they remain fresh for about a month. The Novella variety is adapted for cultivation in the Central and North Caucasus regions, as well as suitable for the Central Black Earth region. Under conditions of the Krasnodar Krai, the apple tree demonstrates medium resistance to scab and powdery mildew, as well as medium frost resistance. The yield of the variety is about 215–250 centners per hectare, making it attractive for commercial cultivation. Thanks to its characteristics and fruit quality, the Novella variety is an excellent choice for gardeners seeking to obtain an early-season crop of tasty and fragrant apples.